Now Marina Lewycka’s quirkily-titled, and quirkily-themed, A Short History Of Tractors In Ukrainian has arrived on stage.

Hull Truck’s production captures the comedy and the pathos of the tale, which follows the family fall-out after Nikolai, a widowed, 84-year-old Ukrainian living in the UK, falls for the 36-year-old gold digger Valentina.

His daughters – Nadezdha and Vera – are, unsurprisingly, less than impressed at his plans to marry her.

In this adaptation of the best-selling novel, playwright Tanika Gupta has tweaked the storyline by placing Nikolai’s late wife as the show’s narrator.

It’s something which the novelist, writing in the programme notes, said had brought a tear to her eye. It also makes this drama something more than a funny clash of cultures, by making us aware of the grim life the family left – through flashbacks to their escape from Stalin’s brutal regime in the Soviet Union.

Under the direction of Mark Babych, whose bustling production includes Ukrainian folk song and dance, there’s a strong performance from the cast, topped by Geoffrey Beevers as the twinkly-eyed Nikolai – who’s much taken with his leggy, younger wife.

For all its humour – including actors popping up through the packing trunks that form part of the stage set – it’s a moving drama about getting on when life’s giving you a kicking.